How to Fix SSL Certificate Errors

SSL certificate errors prevent visitors from accessing your site and can seriously damage trust. Here are the most common errors and how to fix them.

"Certificate Expired" Error

This means your SSL certificate is past its validity date. For Let's Encrypt certificates on dotCanada, renewal is automatic - but if AutoSSL failed for some reason, go to cPanel › Security › SSL/TLS Status and click Run AutoSSL. For paid certificates, you'll need to renew through your certificate authority.

"Certificate Not Trusted" Error

This usually means the certificate chain is incomplete. When installing a paid SSL, ensure you also paste the CA Bundle (intermediate certificates) into cPanel. Without it, some browsers won't trust the certificate.

"Certificate Name Mismatch" Error

This happens when the domain on the certificate doesn't match the domain you're visiting - for example, if your certificate covers example.com but visitors are going to www.example.com. Make sure your certificate includes both the root domain and the www subdomain, or use a wildcard certificate.

"NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID" in Chrome

This typically means the certificate was issued by an authority Chrome doesn't recognize, or the certificate chain is broken. Use an online SSL checker to diagnose the chain and confirm all intermediate certificates are present.

Still Stuck?

SSL errors can have multiple causes. If you've tried the above and are still seeing errors, contact our support team and we'll diagnose the issue for you.